today I had a short day at work. I got off around 11:30 and headed out in Signe's black Volkswagen. She taught me stick and I drive alone now.... it was sunny today. so sunny. Finally the heat poured in the window and after stopping at the paint store to meet Signe and pick out a color for her new apartment walls, I headed home to sit in the sun for an afternoon. I grabbed my book, a piece of pizza, ketchup, and my sunglasses. I was lying there, soaking in the sun, when I remembered that I hadn't walked the lane to the mailbox yet. I jumped up and ran half the way... a package from papa, the prettiest envelope and art work from annie, and one more thing that I almost missed because it was in between the newspåper and magazines... a letter from chelsey. I smiled so big.there was this quote on the card...
"The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are."
-unknown
To me, this is exactly the point of travel. To walk around in other's shoes and try to understand, no matter how hard it may be, the details of their reality. It's like Atticus Finch said, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” It's so easy to assume or imagine but it's something quite different to go and actually walk around. I'm grateful that I've been given this chance even though my imagination didn't expect the challenges. Reality is something good to be aquainted with. I'm really grateful the sun came out today too and that the mailman brought me letters from my dear ones with words that resonated so deeply.
14 comments:
lucky, you get mail from duble-duts. once again, its pretty amazing you are occupying Thor and Woden's stomping grounds. squeeze out all the good you can.
gol-ly, am i happy that got to you. i don't always find the postal service terribly dependable. how can these little bits of paper make it all the way to norway? but then my USPS decides to be reliable, and i'm happy. :)
this was teamwork between the usps and the norwegian ps. and michael, don't forget loki.
I'm so glad to hear that you have learned how to drive a stick! Now at least one of our cousins can borrow our cars! :)
dude i can drive a stick too! i was driving one around philly just the other day. ;-)
sienna pizza and ketchup are not meant for each other. i'm sorry.
and if i recall, you already know about stick right? left-handed in the saturn, that was sweet. until you jacked up the car. :)
responding to Dan...I knew a girl who slathered peanut butter on her pizza...now there is really something wrong with that...ketchup seems almost o.k. when you think of the other!
Sienna, I wish I could post more, I just think my posts suck...all I really want to do is show you pictures. I have so many.
and I get so wrapped up in reading other peoples I forget what I want to write.
but I shall carry on, for you.
bethany,
start a flickr!! and just do that... your pictures are sowonderful! share them.
Okay, I just have to ask, Do you put ketchup on your pizza?? I know that's got nothing to do with your post, but that's all I could wonder while I was trying to read the rest of your entry. Seriously?
Also, that is a really great and appropriate quote. I'm keeping that one.
Miss you! And glad you got some sunshine! :)
okay... here's the deal. In liberia Signe (and the rest of the norwegians on teh ship) would always put ketchup on their pizza.. i like to try new things, specially with food, so even though it looked gross i tried it anyway. it was good! So i started eating it like that on the ship.. then when i got home i stopped for some reason... coming here though, they ALL do it. all of them. so i've gotten back into the habit and it's really good. probably just really bad for you... and it is a bit of an explosian on the taste buds but i like it. ok.
Really? A taste explosion?! Hmmm... now I'm intrigued. Next time pizza is on the menu I might have to be brave and try it!
Love you!
Ma
Love...you got my mail! It actually worked...whoo hoo! I love and miss you.
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